Agnes’s grace and sophistication were built on wealth and resources. As for Camila, she had nothing.
The Jackson family gave her neither love nor money, yet they still blamed her for not being graceful or refined. Even now, she couldn’t understand why they had brought her back.
The only purpose she seemed to serve in this family was to highlight how adored the “real” daughter, Agnes, was.
The person who was unloved became the third party. It felt oddly fitting in her case. The younger version of her would have been heartbroken by their unfairness, but now, she just didn’t care anymore.
She looked around the storage room, and the only clothes she had to change into were her blue–and–white high school
uniform
Five years ago, she had received an acceptance letter from the top university in the country, Wasmore University. Yet the Jackson family had only thrown a grand celebration for Agnes’s admission. The banquet was packed with Sancho’s elite.
Eighteen–year–old Agnes, dressed in a 300–thousand–dollar haute couture gown, her hair crowned with a diamond–studded tiara, stood proudly between the Jackson couple, the center of attention, treated like a princess.
Meanwhile, she–dressed like an outcast, dragged away by the police in front of everyone–had her college years stolen away as she spent the next five years in prison.
Five minutes later, Camila, now in her high school uniform, made her way toward the Jackson family’s banquet hall.
As she walked, the servants passing by couldn’t help but eye her with curiosity.
“Who’s this? Why is she in a high school uniform?”
“She’s probably a server brought in from Reagon Hotel. Looks like a high school student working part–time for the summer.” “The Jackson family is really good to Miss Jackson. To celebrate, they even brought in the head chef from Reagon Hotel.” “Yeah, they really went all out.”
One of the servants walked up to Camila and casually reminded her, “The banquet’s about to start. Hurry up and change into the uniform like everyone else. Don’t slack off when serving the guests. The people here today are important figures from all over Sancho.
After the servant left, Camila stood still for a moment, suddenly not wanting to go to the banquet at all.
Harry had told her that Arthur Jackson and Belinda Jackson were hosting a welcome banquet for her, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about inviting outsiders.
She wondered, ‘Being released from prison isn’t something to celebrate. Does it really need to be such a big event?
Years ago, she had been taken away by the police in front of Sancho’s elite. Now, she thought. They are going to make a spectacle of my return in front of those same people?
To her, this didn’t feel like a wellcome–it felt like a public display of her shame, leaving her no dignity at all. A mix of bitterness and anger rose in her chest, and she no longer wanted to stay.
She turned to leave, but just as she did, Harry approached. When he saw what she was wearing, his face immediately twisted
with disdain.
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Chapter 3
He quickly walked over, his voich rising. “Didn’t I tell you to wear a gown? What are you doing in that? Don’t you know what kind of event this fa?”
Camila opened her mouth to explain, bn Harry cut her off, not giving her a chance to respond.
“You came out of prison looking like a wreck, and now that you’re home, you’re trying to play the victim in front of everyone, acting like we owe you something-
“You’re putting on this show, trying to make it seem like the Jackson family mistreated you. Camila, your tactics are as low ast ever. You’re beyond saving” he said.
He reached out to grab her, still muttering angrily, “Go back and change your clothes. Don’t make a fool of yourself here…
Camila stepped aside to avoid him.
Harry missed, his fury burning even hotter. “You dare avoid me?”
She raised her eyes to meet his, and he looked at her like she was his enemy. That look of disdain and impatience she had borne it for three years in the Jackson family.
Every time their eyes met, it felt like her heart was being torn apart by invisible hands. Her tears of injustice would well up. but all she’d ever received in return was his accusation of “pretending.
Maybe she had gotten used to it, or maybe the five years in prison had stripped away her self–respect. Now, when she met his look of utter disgust, her heart felt nothing. His feelings–whether love or hate–no longer affected her in the slightest.
Camila met his gaze with cold indifference, her eyes calm but firm. “I don’t have a gown
At this, Harry’s anger flared even more. “No gown? Don’t you know how to buy one?”
Camila took a deep breath. She knew better than to try to explain to him–he was too set in his biases, and no matter what she said, he would never believe her.
She had tried to explain before, but the more she spoke, the more he accused her of hiding something, and the more he vilified her.
She felt utterly powerless. She wasn’t going to explain anymore. She simply said, coldly, “I don’t have the money.”
Harry’s face twisted with frustration, his anger growing more uncontrollable by the second. “For three years, you had everything you needed–food, clothes, and even pocket money from the company. Every month, they transferred 150 thousand dollars to your account.
That’s 3.6 million dollars over three years! Isn’t that enough to buy a few decent clothes or a gown? But you chose to wear cheap, tacky stuff, just to make it look like the Jackson family has mistreated you
“Camila, stop being so selfish. You’ve made your scene, and we’ve given you what we owe you. It’s enough now. Stop acting like this.
“Enough is enough!” he shouted.
Camila had expected this. No matter what she said, it would never be believed. She kept her gaze fixed on him, her eyes steady.
For some reason, when their eyes locked. Harry suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Why are you staring at me like that? I didn’t say anything wrong”
She thought. He didn’t say anything wrong? Camila couldn’t help but laugh bitterly inside. She hadn’t wanted to make a scene, but Harry’s relentless attitude had awakened a dark part of her.
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Chapter 3
Her attention shifted as she notited someone walking toward them. If she was as well make it a big one.
is going t
to make a scene, she figured she might
She had already lost all her dignity, and she didn’t care anymore. But she couldn’t help wondering if Harry, so obsessed with appearances, could handle this public humiliation.
“I’ve never received any money from the company,” she said. “Don’t even talk about 150 thousand dollars–there wasn’t even 15 dollars. If you’re going to accuse me, at least come up with a decent excuse.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed further in disgust. “You really won’t stop until you get yourself in trouble, will you? Camila, you’re pushing me too far. Don’t blame me for not sparing you any face.”
With that, he pulled out his phone and dialed the finance department, putting it on speakerphone. “Check how much money the company has transferred to Camila’s bank account every month.”
The voice on the other end of the line hesitated. “Camila? You mean Miss Jackson?”
“Yes.”
“If it’s Miss Jackson, there’s no need to check.”
Harry’s displeasure deepened. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, sir, the company’s finance department has never transferred any money to Miss Jackson’s account
“What did you say?” Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He thought, ‘Even if Camila isn’t treated well, she is still part of the Jackson family. How can she not have received pocket money?
That night, when she was brought back into the family, he and their parents had discussed how much pocket money to give
her.
To avoid showing favoritism, they decided she should get the same allowance as Agnes–150 thousand dollars a month. He couldn’t have remembered
wrong.
Didn’t I tell you to handle this?”
“Sir, didn’t you know? Mrs. Jackson said that Camila came from an orphanage, had a limited worldview, and kept bad company. She didn’t want to spoil her by giving her 150 thousand dollars a month, so the allowance was canceled.
“At the time, she was still in high school, living comfortably at the Jackson family, with no real expenses, so they decided not to give her any pocket money…”
Harry’s mind was reeling. He thought, The allowance was canceled? That means Camila hasn’t received a single cent from the Jackson family during her entire three years here!
“And, by the way, Mrs. Jackson increased Agnes’s allowance to 300 thousand dollars a month, since she was worried that Agnes might feel upset with Camila’s return.
Th
Har
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